Bushby House

Looking for info on Hastings & St Leonards past times. Post here!
eaton
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Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2015 2:05 pm

Re: Bushby House

Postby eaton » Wed Jan 21, 2015 12:01 pm

This is all so interesting. I will post the postcard online when I get it back from my mother-in-law. She is loving all of this!!!
Thanks to one and all!

whiffler
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Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2014 9:18 pm

Re: Bushby House

Postby whiffler » Wed Jan 21, 2015 10:31 pm

Sorry for a post-pub session thought ..... but just love the possibility of a predatory Bushby.

As for names of the various addresses .... more tomorrow. There may be a theme.

HollyBlue
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Re: Bushby House

Postby HollyBlue » Thu Jan 22, 2015 12:17 am

I’ve had a look at the 1901 and 1911 census records this evening and, as Gerry said, I can find no mention in the 1901 census of Bushby Home and there is no number 30 or 32. It is strange that it appears to be entirely absent, since uninhabited and unoccupied properties are listed. We know that 30-32 existed in 1888 as that is when the application for the conservatory was put in. I will have to see if it is in the 1891 and 1881 censuses.

On the 1911 census there is an entry for The Hermitage 30-32 Holmesdale Gardens and it is described as a convalescent home. The entry covers six pages of the census record book, and in total there were 91 people; 75 males and 16 females. Of these, 77 were patients. 7 were servants including one nurse, and the remaining five were: William Albert Matthews aged 46 the convalescent home superintendent and his wife Matilda Eliza Matthews aged 42 who was the matron, their 19 year old daughter Winifred Caroline Susan Matthews assistant matron, their son Harold Stanley aged 12 and finally William’s 78 year old widowed mother-in-law whose name was – wait for it - Susannah Bushby !!

Now, this may well be entirely co-incidental to the name Bushby Home, and it might be a complete red herring, but given Suzannah’s age (she would have been 55 years old when the conservatory was applied for in 1888) it does seem possible that her husband might have founded the convalescent home and perhaps it was initially named after him for a while. I shall simply have to try and find out who her husband was now, but I shall definitely not be staying up as late tonight as I did last night :)

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Richard
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Re: Bushby House

Postby Richard » Thu Jan 22, 2015 10:57 am

Well done HB - a relevant Bushby name at last!!

chicken
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Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 2:04 pm

Re: Bushby House

Postby chicken » Fri Jan 23, 2015 2:12 pm

I just had this reply in from Peter Higginbotham who does much research into workhouses and other such buildings:

'Dear Michael,
It was a convalescent boarding establishment run by William Albert Matthews. It was in operation by 1905 at 32 Holmesdale Gardens, Hastings - where "The Hermitage" flats now stand. You should probably be able to find it in the 1911 census.'

Regards to all

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Gerry Glyde
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Re: Bushby House

Postby Gerry Glyde » Fri Jan 23, 2015 2:58 pm

I could not bear the thought of Holly Blue having to burn the midnight oil, and anyway oil lamps are dangerous.

Have found out some more information, but not particularly helpful, about the nature & background of the Bushby Home. Susannah on the 1911 census (born in Herts) is shown as a widow in 1881, but with her husband Henry G Bushby and family in 1871 living in Dorcas Tce Fulham. They have a daughter Matilda E age 3. Her age corresponds to the Matilda on the 1911 census. Henry G is described as a grocer that does not suggest he had an amount of wealth sufficient to endow a home as large as the one in Hastings.It suggests he was a shop keeper. If he had a number of shops it is likely that he would be described as a merchant or owner of grocers shops. A Henry G Bushby of Fulham died in 1880 that fits in with the 1881 census showing Susannah as a widow

If he had money to leave he would have had a Will. There is no Will or probate that I can find for a H Bushby that links to the date of death.

So still no further is establishing how a home was established!

http://bushby.co.uk/village-shop/

The above site contains two Bushby Home postcards, in addition to it being of the same name. They have not responded to my enquiry

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Richard
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Re: Bushby House

Postby Richard » Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:32 pm

Hello Gerry,
May it be the case that Susannah had her own (family) money to put into establishing a 'Home' and in that case presumably, she would have left a 'Will'.
But it seems perhaps unusual that her husband did not leave a 'Will'.
Henry died in 1880, just before the planning application for the Conservatory went through, (in 1881), not sure that has much significance anyway.
Susannah Bushby, or her husband, Henry, must have had some particular reason for involvement with a convalescent home?

All idle speculation, I know.

eaton
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Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2015 2:05 pm

Re: Bushby House

Postby eaton » Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:19 am

Following all you super sleuth information, I contacted Peter Peter@workhouses.org.uk.
A workhouse historian. He confirmed that it was definitely a convalescent boarding establishment run by William Albert Mathews. It was in operation by 1905 at 32 Holmesdale Gardens where the hermitage flats now stand!!!

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Richard
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Re: Bushby House

Postby Richard » Sat Jan 24, 2015 2:07 pm

But do we even know when the Hermitage was built (before 1880) and why the two buildings were erected very much huddled together?

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Gerry Glyde
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Re: Bushby House

Postby Gerry Glyde » Sat Jan 24, 2015 2:57 pm

.....or indeed who were the type of residents who would have used it, for what period of time and for me why would people have had a commemorative photograph produced of 40 to 70 people for a keepsake if all were staying for different periods of days to months.
Would a photo have been taken each week?

How did a grocer from Fulham fund such a project?
As Eaton originally enquired, does anyone know anything more about it other than it existed, which we knew anyway from the name on the postcard.


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